By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – In a coaches poll that mirrored how competitive last season’s title race and championship tournament were, Western Washington edged Montana State Billings by a single point to emerge as the 2024-25 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball preseason favorite.
 
The Vikings totaled 91 points in the poll, garnering four first-place votes after going 24-7 overall and 14-4 in league play last season to finish in second place. WWU then won its second-straight GNAC Championships title, beating the Yellowjackets 54-52 in a title game that came down to the final possession.
 
Montana State Billings is coming off its second-ever GNAC regular season title, breaking the program record for wins with a 28-7 overall record and a mark of 16-2 in conference play. MSUB secured 90 points and had five first-place votes in the poll.
 

2024-25 GNAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank	Team (1st Place Votes)	Points	2023-24 Record	GNAC Record (Finish)	2024-25 Roster	2024-25 Schedule
1	Western Washington (4)	91	24-7	14-4 (2nd)	Roster	Schedule
2	Montana State Billings (5)	90	28-7	16-2 (1st)	Roster	Schedule
3	Alaska Anchorage (1)	79	19-9	13-5 (3rd)	Roster	Schedule
4	Central Washington	78	19-12	10-8 (T4th)	Roster	Schedule
5	Simon Fraser	59	17-14	10-8 (T4th)	Roster	Schedule
6	Northwest Nazarene	47	9-15	7-11 (7th)	Roster	Schedule
7	Saint Martin's	37	8-17	6-12 (8th)	Roster	Schedule
8	Seattle Pacific	34	11-18	8-10 (6th)	Roster	Schedule
9	Alaska Fairbanks	20	4-23	3-15 (T9th)	Roster	Schedule
10	Western Oregon	15	10-13	3-15 (T9th)	Roster	Schedule
Points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis

 

The Vikings advanced to the second round of last year’s NCAA West Region Championships, beating Cal Poly Pomona 66-61 in the first round before falling 62-56 at the hands of Cal State San Marcos. After earning a first-round bye in the GNAC Championships, WWU knocked off Alaska Anchorage 75-60 before its narrow triumph over the Yellowjackets to secure its second straight tournament crown and fourth overall. WWU said goodbye to two-time GNAC Championships MVP and All-American Brooke Walling, who led the team last year with 16.5 points per game. Mason Oberg (G, 5-5, 11.2 ppg) and Olivia Wikstrom (G, 6-1, 7.1 ppg) are among the team’s top returners this winter. Carmen Dolfo is the winningest coach in GNAC history, holding a record of 458-168 (.732) since the league was formed in 2002 and an overall record of 691-262 (.725) in her 33 years leading the WWU program. The Vikings begin their campaign on Nov. 8-9 with a pair of games at the West Region Crossover in Carson, Calif.
 

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The Yellowjackets’ historic season also culminated in the second round of the NCAA West Region Championships, as they defeated Azusa Pacific 66-56 before a 73-71 loss to CSU San Marcos. MSUB was a perfect 9-0 in home conference games last winter, and went 13-1 overall inside Alterowitz Gym on the way to its first GNAC title since the 2013-14 campaign. All-conference returners Kortney Nelson (G, 5-8, 9.6 ppg) and Dyauni Boyce (F, 5-11, 14.7 ppg) are two of the top returners in the league, with the former being named the 2023-24 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Fellow senior point guard Aspen Giese (G, 5-8, 9.5 ppg) also returns for her senior campaign. The ‘Jackets will have to replace 2023-24 All-American and GNAC Player of the Year Kola Bad Bear, who averaged team-leading figures of 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Kevin Woodin is third in GNAC history with 283 victories since the 'Jackets joined the league in 2007, and begins his 17th season leading the Yellowjackets. Overall Woodin holds a record of 344-227 (.602). MSUB hosts the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead on Nov. 1-3 to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
 

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Checking in third in the preseason poll with 79 points and the other first-place vote was Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves went 19-9 overall and took third place in the standings last year with a GNAC record of 13-5. UAA beat Seattle Pacific 79-57 in the opening round of the GNAC Championships, before falling 75-60 at the hands of the Vikings to end their season. Tori Hollingshead (F/C, 6-3, 12.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) earned second-team all-GNAC honors in her first season with the team after making a profound impact in 2023-24. UAA’s biggest loss was senior Senya Rabouin, who ranked second on the squad with 12.4 points per game last winter. Ryan McCarthy ranks second in GNAC history in wins, holding a career record of 296-75 (.798) as he begins his 12th season with the Seawolves. UAA’s season begins on Nov. 1-2 with back-to-back home games against Simpson at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
 

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Central Washington finished just below UAA in the preseason poll, earning 78 points with a projected fourth-place finish. The Wildcats went 19-12 overall and tied for fourth place in last year’s standings with a GNAC record of 10-8. The Wildcats defeated Simon Fraser 65-51 in the quarterfinals of last year’s GNAC Championships, before a tight 62-60 defeat in the semifinals against the Yellowjackets on their home floor at Nicholson Pavilion. CWU welcomes back the most formidable scoring tandem in the league, with junior Asher Cai (G, 5-9, 19.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and senior Sunny Huerta (G, 5-4, 17.9 ppg) both back in the lineup. Huerta enters the season in the top-30 in GNAC history with 1,378 career points. Sophomore Capri Sims (F, 6-0, 9.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg) is also back after a strong debut collegiate season. Randi Richardson begins her eighth season leading the team with a career record of 116-67 (.634). CWU hosts the CCAA-GNAC Crossover on Nov. 8-9 to begin its campaign.
 

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Simon Fraser was picked fifth in the preseason poll, totaling 59 points after going 17-14 overall and tying CWU at 10-8 in league play for fourth place last year. Bruce Langford’s team won five of its final six regular-season games before ending its season with a first-round loss to the Wildcats. A staple in his 24th season leading SFU, Langford picked up his 500th career overall win last year and in the 14 seasons since SFU joined the GNAC he ranks fifth in league history with 204 victories. Senior Sophia Wizotzki (G, 5-10, 17.2 ppg) is back after leading the team in scoring last year. The Red Leafs will need to replace Jessica Wisotzki and Gemma Cutler, who averaged 16.8 points and 10.8 points/7.4 rebounds, respectively. SFU hosts the D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic on Nov. 1-3 to open the 2024-25 season.
 

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Looking to get back to the GNAC Championships for the first time since 2022, Northwest Nazarene was projected sixth in the preseason poll with 47 points. The Nighthawks went 9-15 overall and 7-11 in conference play last year, just missing out on tournament qualification with a seventh-place finish. NNU is led by 2023-24 GNAC Freshman of the Year Kendall Clark (G/F, 5-10, 12.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and honorable mention all-conference pick Madeline Gebers (G/F, 6-0, 13.7 ppg) who both return this season. Steve Steele begins his ninth season leading the program, and ranks 10th in GNAC history in wins with a 130-77 (.628) record since taking over in 2016. NNU’s season begins in Ellensburg, Wash., at the GNAC-CCAA Crossover event on Nov. 8-9.
 

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Saint Martin’s signaled it was on the rise at the end of last season, winning its final three games of the year to finish 8-17 overall and 6-12 in league play for eighth place. The Saints were picked seventh in the preseason poll with 37 points, making them a contender to make this year’s GNAC Championships behind the leadership of second-year head coach Natalie Marlowe. The Saints lost senior point guard Anjel Galbraith, who led the team in scoring last year with 11.5 points per game. Sophomore Sarah Lamet (F, 6-4, 8.2 ppg) and senior Keeli Jade Smith (G, 5-9, 8.0 ppg) are two of the team’s top returners this season. SMU opens its 2024-25 schedule on Nov. 8-9 at the CSU San Bernardino Challenge in California.
   

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Eighth in the preseason poll with 34 points was Seattle Pacific, which went 11-18 overall and 8-10 in conference play to secure sixth place last year. The Falcons fell to Alaska Anchorage 79-57 in the opening round of the GNAC Championships. SPU lost leading scorer Olivia Mayer, who averaged 15.7 points per game and garnered second-team all-GNAC honors. Seniors Hunter Beirne (G, 5-7, 9.5 ppg) and Schuyler Berry (C, 6-3, 9.7 rpg) figure to be the Falcons’ go-to leaders at the outset of the season. Karen Byers was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach over the summer, beginning her first campaign leading the program. SPU heads to Langley, B.C., to kick off its season at the D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic Nov. 1-3.
 

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Placing ninth in the preseason coaches poll with 20 points was Alaska Fairbanks, which went 4-23 overall and tied for ninth in the GNAC standings at 3-15 in league play. Junior Kayla Johnson (F, 5-10, 10.4 ppg) and senior Destiny Reimers (G, 5-9, 9.9 ppg) are among the Nanooks’ statistical leaders who return to the lineup. Amy Donovan enters her third season in charge of the program. The Nanooks are set to host the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational on Nov. 15-16 to open the 2024-25 season.
 

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Western Oregon received 15 points and was picked 10th in the preseason poll, after going 10-13 overall and 3-15 in conference play to tie for ninth place. Jessica Peatross is in her second season in charge of the program, and senior Triniti Youngblood (G, 5-8, 9.2 ppg) is back on the roster from last year. The Wolves head to Fairbanks to open the season against Corban and Western Colorado on Nov. 15-16.
 
The 18-game conference schedule kicks off with an early slate of games on Dec. 5-7, and resumes after the new year in January. The top-six teams in the regular-season standings earn spots into the 2025 GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships, which will be hosted by Saint Martin’s in Lacey, Wash., from March 6-8, 2025. The winner of the conference tournament earns the GNAC’s automatic berth into the NCAA West Region Championships.